CBF celebrates renewed and strengthened partnership with Global Women

DECATUR, Ga. — With a recent signing ceremony, the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship and Global Women have officially entered into a renewed partnership. With a like-minded vision and shared goals of empowering females across the globe, CBF and Global Women will strive together to build a more authentic and Christ-like community through shared work.

The move toward strengthening ties between Global Women and CBF came in April, as CBF Executive Coordinator Suzii Paynter approached the organization with proposed steps to move from a “Networking” partnership to that of an “Identity Collaborative” model, which is multi-faceted and will relate to CBF across multiple departments and projects.

Paynter emphasized that this new relationship is being forged at the most opportune time as both Global Women and CBF Global Missions are in transition.

“For more than 10 years Global Women has been reaching out to women in congregations to connect them in meaningful and transformational ways to women around the world,” Paynter said in a memo to the Global Women Board of Directors.

“Proudly and intentionally ecumenical, much of the work of Global Women has been supported by leaders and constituents in CBF churches. Global Women is experiencing a transition in leadership and acting on the opportunity for planning for the future. Likewise, there is also a re-visioning and strategic planning process for CBF Global Missions. The intersection of these two assessment processes in these two organizations has yielded an exploration of intentional steps for partnership between Global Women and CBF Global Missions”

This transition in leadership for Global Women comes with the appointment of Executive Director Stacy Blackmon, who began serving in this role earlier in October.

Blackmon is an accomplished strategist, communicator, partnership builder and transformational ministry leader dedicated to helping people thrive — especially women and children. She comes to Global Women from World Vision where she most recently served as a national director and organizational strategy project director.

With the tagline, “A catalyst for positive change on behalf of vulnerable women,” Global Women is a Christian nonprofit organization that envisions a world where every woman is empowered, valued and equipped to fulfill her unique purpose. Through global partnerships it seeks to walk alongside indigenous Christian women leading holistic ministries and support indigenous Christian organizations that address its five areas of initiatives.

This partnership will draw on the alignment of values between the Fellowship and Global Women, seeking to provide a strategic approach to mission among women in neglected and marginalized communities around the world. This will also connect the CBF denomi-network with Global Women’s network of indigenous Christian women and like-minded organizations to address five initiative areas: clean water, maternal health, education, economic development and sex trafficking awareness and prevention.

CBF Partnerships Manager Chris Boltin expressed his excitement for the future of these joint efforts, emphasizing the benefit to CBF congregations and field personnel through the partnership.

“We are excited about what the future holds for our endeavors together, and we know that CBF congregations and field personnel will directly benefit from this collaboration. Building on a long-standing relationship, both organizations renewed a commitment to heighten awareness and response within the initiative areas.”

Blackmon also expressed her excitement, speaking to the increased impact that collaboration will bring.

“This renewed partnership between Global Women and CBF will enable greater stewardship of resources and ministry impact through strategic collaboration and prayer,” Blackmon said. “Global Women and CBF have a long history of providing mutual support for areas of shared vision. Through this partnership, we will continue to build relationships at all levels, leverage our collective strengths, and combine our passion and influence to become an even more powerful force for love in the world.”

CBF is a Christian Network that helps people put their faith to practice through ministry eff­orts, global missions and a broad community of support.The Fellowship’s mission is to serve Christians and churches as they discover and fulfill their God-given mission.